A wireless communication device transmits and receives information wirelessly via a wireless access node to communicate over a communication network. Typically, the wireless access node is part of a radio access network (RAN) which provides the wireless communication device with access to further communication networks, systems, and devices. In fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) communication systems, a wireless communication device is referred to as user equipment (UE), while a wireless access node is called an enhanced node B (eNodeB).
Because the 4G LTE standard supports only packet switching in its all-IP network, the voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) protocol is typically employed to provide voice services over a 4G LTE communication network. The standard implementation of VoLTE utilizes an internet protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network with specific profiles for control and media planes to support voice services over LTE.
Given the nature of transmitting information in the form of energy over the air, errors can be introduced while the data is in-route to its destination. To address this concern, error control techniques for data transmissions may be utilized to achieve reliable data transmissions over an unreliable service. One such technique, termed hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), provides such error control by encoding data with a forward error correction (FEC) code.
Overview
A method of operating a wireless access node to facilitate voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) communication sessions is disclosed. The method comprises exchanging VoLTE packets with a wireless communication device during a VoLTE communication session. The method further comprises monitoring a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retries requested by the wireless communication device during the VoLTE communication session and comparing the number of HARQ retries to a threshold value. The method further comprises, if the number of HARQ retries falls below the threshold value, dropping a percentage of the VoLTE packets to achieve an overall percentage of packet loss for the VoLTE communication session based on the number of HARQ retries.
A wireless access node to facilitate voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) communication sessions comprises a wireless communication transceiver and a processing system. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to exchange VoLTE packets with a wireless communication device during a VoLTE communication session. The processing system is configured to monitor a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retries requested by the wireless communication device during the VoLTE communication session and compare the number of HARQ retries to a threshold value. The processing system is further configured to, if the number of HARQ retries falls below the threshold value, drop a percentage of the VoLTE packets to achieve an overall percentage of packet loss for the VoLTE communication session based on the number of HARQ retries.
A computer apparatus to facilitate voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) communication sessions comprises software instructions and at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the software instructions. The software instructions are configured, when executed by a wireless access node, to direct the wireless access node to exchange VoLTE packets with a wireless communication device during a VoLTE communication session. The software instructions are further configured to direct the wireless access node to monitor a number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retries requested by the wireless communication device during the VoLTE communication session and compare the number of HARQ retries to a threshold value. The software instructions are further configured to direct the wireless access node to, if the number of HARQ retries falls below the threshold value, drop a percentage of the VoLTE packets to achieve an overall percentage of packet loss for the VoLTE communication session based on the number of HARQ retries.